ABSTRACT
Objective To determine whether relative abundance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in plasma predicts clinical response to epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods In this prospective study, adult patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled in our hospital from 1 April 2016 to 1 January 2017. EGFR mutations in tumor tissues were detected by ADx-amplification refractory mutation system (ADx-ARMS). EGFR mutations of plasma free tumor DNA were detected by ADx-ARMS and ADx-super amplification refractory mutation system (ADx-SuperARMS) at the same time. Patients with EGFR-mutant in tumor tissues and receiving EGFR-TKIs were finally enrolled. Plasma mutation-positive patients with both methods were high abundance group.Patients with positive mutations by ADx-SuperARMS but negative by ADx-ARMS were medium abundance group. Mutation-negative patients with both methods were recognized as low abundance group. The correlation between EGFR mutation abundance and clinical response to EGFR-TKIs were analyzed. Results Among 71 patients enrolled, 42 harbored EGFR mutations in plasma were detected by ADx-ARMS, while 53 were found by ADx-SuperARMS.There were 42 patients in high abundance group, 11 in medium group while the other 18 in low group. The objective response rates (ORRs) were 69.0%,7/11 and 10/18 in high, medium and low groups, respectively. The difference was significant between high and low abundances groups (P=0.006). Median progression-free survival (PFS) in high,medium and low groups were 11.0, 8.5 and 9.0 monthes, respectively (P<0.001). In patients with tumor 19-Del, the ORRs were 70.4%,5/7 and 6/11 in high,medium and low abundance groups, respectively. The median PFS of high abundance group was significantly longer than the other two groups (12.0 monthes vs 9.0, 9.0 monthes). As to subjects with L858R mutation, the ORRs were 10/15,2/4 and 3/6,respectively, with median PFS 9.6, 5.5 and 9.5 monthes. Conclusions The relative abundance of EGFR mutations in plasma predicts clinical response to EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. The higher the mutation abundance is, the better the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs is.
ABSTRACT
Objective To detect the expression of human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) in advanced lung adenocarcinoma with epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, and to explore the potential of HER-2 as a therapeutic target for drug resistance in patients with EGFR mutations. Methods HER-2 is commonly expressed in the advanced lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR mutations, mainly in the cell membrane. Results The overexpression rate of HER-2 protein in tissues of advanced lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR mutations was 33.3%(28/84). The overexpression rate of HER-2 protein in patients>50 years of age was 40.3%(27/67), which was significantly higher than that of patients ≤50 years of age [5.9 % (1/17)], the difference was statistically significant (χ2=7.227, P=0.007). The overexpression rate of HER-2 protein in patients with high pathological differentiation [44.4 % (8/18)] was higher than that in patients with poor pathological differentiation [30.3%(20/66)], but the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=1.273, P=0.259). The overexpression of HER-2 protein in patients with EGFR 21 exon mutation [40.5 % (17/42)] was significantly higher than that of EGFR19 exon mutation [25.0%(10/40)], but the difference was not statistical significance (χ2=2.222, P=0.136). Conclusions The overexpression rate of HER-2 protein in advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR mutation is high, which is related to the age and tumor differentiation. HER-2 is expected to be a potential therapeutic target for drug resistance patients with EGFR mutations.